Working together is the way forward

Solid financial performance

We achieved a solid full-year financial performance, resulting from our effort and commitment to deliver value to our partners and clients. The impact of our research and innovation resulted in revenue growth of 7,7% compared to 2020. Our ability to attract the best talent in a highly competitive market resulted in an employee growth rate of 6,8%. Due to that growth and associated costs, our expenses were also up 5,2%, reaching levels comparable to before the pandemic.

Long-term strategy

In 2021, together with our stakeholders, we developed our new long-term strategy for 2021-2030, focusing on the vision of a water-inclusive society in which KWR contributes to the realisation of resilient water systems for current and future generations. Key concepts embedded in many of our current and future initiatives are circular economy, healthy people and the environment, biodiversity and citizen engagement. Building on our strong position in drinking water science and innovation, we work in a broad societal context of the water-food-energy nexus to bridge science to practice in the entire water cycle. Such an ambitious vision comes with elaborate goals: to maintain and improve water quality and access to water; to improve biodiversity, and to facilitate digital transformation in the water sector. These goals cannot be achieved by KWR alone but require top-level cooperation with partners and clients, both nationally and internationally.

Co-makership

If there is one thing two years of living with COVID-19 has taught us, it is that working together towards a common goal is the only way forward. This applies to overcoming the effects of a pandemic as well as finding answers to the complex challenges the water sector and the world are facing. Working together towards a common goal is also a basic definition of comakership, our preferred approach at KWR.

Creating solutions together

Last year tested our resilience and determination in striving for research, innovation and impact excellence. The pandemic often complicated the processes of connecting with our partners and co-makership, but we succeeded in finding new ways and technologies to bring the right people together and create the solutions the water sector needs. I urge our partners to continue working with us and develop further our co-makership model so we can develop more resilient water systems for the generations to come.

Dragan Savic